Posts Tagged ‘Settings’

I don’t have time to type right now, but here are the images from the analysis for a 2 Channel Orange, 3 Channel Vintage on ch 2, and 3 Channel Vintage on ch 3. The responses of the 2 Channel Orange and 3 Channel Vintage on ch 2 are very close. Other factors could influence the differences between them.

The idea was to take Vintage on Channel 2 and make it sound very similar to Modern on Channel 3. The results ended up being very close, but I didn’t have the time to completely match the EQ (for the most anal of comparisons). The overall response was what I was going for and that is achieved. (more…)

Basics of the Signal Path

The input to the Boss GE-7 Graphic EQ has a buffer which is active at all times. There is a slight emphasis around 2 kHz to help the guitar sound stand out. Immediately after the buffer is the amplifier for the level control. It’s a differential type with only one source voltage split with the level’s sliding potentiometer. This slider will either boost or cut the whole signal when it is moved from the zero line. From here, the signal is split; one path goes to the EQ section and one part goes to the positive input of another differential amp. The EQ section feeds the negative input of the differential amp. (more…)

(Edit: I confused some 6L6 sub-types in the original article, which I don’t think is hard to do).

I ran across this article about Sovteks and how the rating charts for several tube brands compare. I am needing tube replacements and this seems pretty handy for finding tubes that fall into Mesa’s bias range for their 6L6GC.

I’ve been using Ruby 6L6GCMSTR, which is an excellent tube, and I will likely stick with it, but these others have piqued my interest in differences between the sub-types. (more…)

I’ve been experimenting with making Channel 3 a fuzz tone for a long time, but recently got just the setting I wanted. This kind of setting gets close to “Dazed And Confused” and sounds good with “Purple Haze”. Being tube, instead of transistor, it’s a little softer, but the Presence can dial in the edge a person needs for fuzz bliss.

Yellow is the Modern setting as described above with no treble and full mids. Green reduces Bass to 11:00.

The way that old, germanium transistor fuzzes would clip is awfully close to the way the cold clipping circuit works in these Marshall/Soldano types of circuits and the Recto has the bottom end to really sound huge.

I found this Channel 2 Raw setting to be a match for the fuzz tone. It’s bright, with plenty of bottom, and crunches up quite nicely. Both dirty channels get cleaner as guitar volume is rolled back, but, like a Tonebender, Channel 3 never gets “squeaky clean”, but it does make a nice half-clean sound, since the treble is flattened.

Mission Improbable

There are a few reasons I’ve been spending so much time exploring the Dual Rectifier. Those reasons include: misinformation, biases and myths, and helping others.

The misinformation takes many forms. Sometimes, it’s just reading about the DR having “active EQ” (false), that it isn’t a “solo” amp (false), or other equally dubious claims about the design that are ridiculous. Biases and myths also fit in with the misinformation, but are just as much about the insecurities of the users as any misunderstanding of the amplifier. Claims about early revisions being “superior” or the utility of the 2001 3 Channel version are as ridiculous as the circuit misinformation, because it’s all subjective. If I was a little more cynical, I’d even think the second hand market is involved in promoting and spreading this kind of bias to increase, and retain the increases on, the obsolete designs. Seeing as how Mesa designs them, builds them, markets them, receives feedback, and profits most from the sales, if the old amps were superior, they’d swap directly back to it due to customer demands and complaints. (more…)